trip the light fantastic
by moon strut
Summary: It's funny how easily you can fall in love with a person and not even know her name. ―natsu&lucy. For CalaveraCandiedSkull.


**dedication: **for Laura! sorry for taking ridiculously long, darling. hope you enjoy this sexy piece of fail.

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**trip the light fantastic**

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**0**

He hates clubs and bars and places like such, where the air is foggy and smells of sweat and vomit and cheap perfume. But Erza likes it, and it's Erza's birthday, so here they are at Fairy Tail with half-empty glasses sitting in their hands.

It's a special mystery night at the club where everyone wears masquerade masks to cover their faces, and Natsu thinks it's the dumbest shit in the world. But Erza likes it, and it's her birthday, so he wears the stupid mask and he drinks his stupid fire whiskey, but he doesn't feel like smiling.

"Where's Gray?" She asks him, but how the hell is he supposed to know. Natsu eyes the pair of jeans, abandoned on the gum-encrusted seat beside him, and scans the dance floor.

He doesn't see Gray, but there's a girl who's dancing, blonde hair flying. She's wearing a mask like everyone else, but her smile shines through and her eyes sort of sparkle. And he doesn't know why his gaze lingers on her for just a second longer before returning to the redhead before him. Maybe it's because she's absolutely horrible at dancing, but she looks like she's having the time of her life.

He kind of likes that.

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**1**

He's back at the club a week later because Gray is, apparently, in love with someone. Again.

Natsu watches, without a drink in his hand, as his friend smirks at the bartender with blue hair, and she smiles back, and really, they look like they're back in high school, giggling and blushing and 'falling in love.'

It doesn't take him long to realize that he's bored again. That he should be at home playing games with Gajeel, and together they should be talking to shit to kids in middle school who suck. But here he is at Fairy Tail, refusing to drink because _someone_ has to be the responsible adult and drive his shithead of a friend home.

And then there's that girl again, moving her hips like she's dancing to a completely different song in her head. She's not wearing a mask this time, but he knows it's her. It's because of those same brown eyes and that wispy golden hair. And the fact that she really cannot dance. The way she moves is hypnotizing, and he wonders several times if she's actually even there.

They make eye contact, but there's no spark or shock or jolt like there should be. She looks away a second later, and Natsu feels his vision become unfocused. It must be the alcohol, he reasons, palming his forehead.

But then he realizes he had nothing to drink.

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**2**

Not three days later, Natsu is dragged back to Fairy Tail because Erza has a date. (And he seriously questions why he plays wingman to everyone.)

There's a guy with blue hair who's barely even smiling, and Erza's vice grip on Natsu's arm loosens a fraction. Her lips curl up all soft and shy and un-Erza-esque as she takes her place by his side. Natsu, honestly, is not okay with her and this stranger and all the possibilities between two people, but Erza can handle herself, he figures.

He watches them disappear into the masses and finds his usual spot at the bar. The love of Gray's life smiles at him from behind the counter, but he doesn't order anything. Dark eyes peer through the flashing lights, never stopping, never lingering. It's strange that the girl with the blonde hair is not there, perhaps because she is _always_ there. Natsu sits and ponders where it is she could be.

And then he wonders why he even cares.

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**3**

Natsu is at Fairy Tail again. This time, alone.

Juvia—that's her name, says the douche, about forty times a day—is working tonight, and so he hands her a handwritten note from Gray, folded all fancy and shit. Then she's all giggles and blushes and in all honestly, Natsu thinks it's completely ridiculous.

He quickly claims his seat and glances to his left, where there sits a girl about three seats down.

It's her.

She looks at him, and he looks at her. Natsu glances away, but she's hard to ignore. And then before he knows it, she's right next to him, brown eyes singing, poking, prodding.

"I bet you're a real good dancer," she concludes.

Natsu scoffs at her incredulous conjecture. "I don't dance."

"Then why are you always here?" She traces the etchings on the counter.

"I'm not."

Their eyes meet again, gazes hot like fire.

Her glossy lips curl into a smile. "Liar."

She pulls him to the dance floor, and for some reason, he lets her.

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**4**

Natsu finds himself frequenting the club more than he would like to admit.

They're playing tic-tac-toe at the bar with straws and toothpicks and ripped up napkins. He and she. She and he.

He steals a glance at the girl whose name he does not know, but she's focusing solely on the game, tongue on her pink_pink_ lips in concentration.

Natsu narrows his eyes and openly stares at her, because _who are you_?

She places her piece down and meets his gaze,_ no one_.

He loses the game.

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**5**

Natsu learns a little bit about her every time he's there. So naturally, his curiosity has him coming back, again and again and again. She'll be dancing, he'll be watching, and then they'll talk 'til the world seems to end.

But she still avoids telling him her name.

And maybe she has trouble trusting people, since they both have asshole fathers and dead mothers. But that doesn't change the fact that he wants to know why this girl hides behind a mask, more than anything.

"Why won't you tell me your name?"

She stops stirring her drink, still full. "Because a name doesn't make a person."

"You know my name." He leans his cheek on an open palm.

She rolls her eyes. "Everyone knows your name, Natsu."

He isn't convinced but drops it anyway. Because she might decide to leave if he kept cajoling.

And he doesn't want that.

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**6**

Gray says he's in love. Natsu disagrees, because what would Gray know.

But then he goes to Fairy Tail that same night, and he sees her, that girl, on the dance floor again. She's laughing and smiling and jumping around.

And when their eyes meet in that weird way they always do, she looks at him and he at her. And... Nothing.

There is nothing in that brief exchange, and Natsu feels like he's missing something.

She's gone when he searches for her again from his spot at the bar. There is an ache and a squeeze within his chest, and maybe he needs to go numb for a while. So he orders himself another drink.

It's painful to admit that, sometimes, Gray could be right.

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**7**

A week later, Natsu finds her sitting at the bar.

"So why are you avoiding me?" He inquires, claiming the seat beside her. She jumps a little at the sound of his voice, but she makes no move to do anything but rip napkins into tiny, little pieces.

And she's all downcast eyes and pouty lips as she answers with a shaky voice: "I'm not."

"Liar."

She breathes in, deep and hollow, but the words seem to die on her lips.

Natsu leans a cheek on his palm, calm and collected, "At least tell me the name of the girl I'm probably in love with."

She looks up at this, saffron hair flying with the sudden movement, and those coffee eyes are wide in alarm. "This is a club. A place to find a stranger to take home for the night, not exactly where you're supposed to find your soul mate."

"Then you don't have to tell me your name. Just be with me. And when we get married, you can be Mrs. Natsu Dragneel if you want―"

"Lucy." She suddenly says, biting back a laugh, eyes dancing.

He lets a smile tug at his lips.

"Hi, Lucy." Natsu's hand lightly brushes hers.

Then, there it is: a spark.

―and the room is on fire.

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**notes: **wow, so yeah. excuse the terrible use of the prompt, laura. i am NOT satisfied with the ending, but meh. hey i just realized that both our fics were in natsu's perspective.


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